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phlo⋅gis⋅ton

[floh-jis-ton, -tuh

–noun

a nonexistent chemical that, prior to the discovery of oxygen, was thought to be released during combustion.

Origin:
1720–30; < NL: inflammability, n. use of Gk phlogistón, neut. of phlogistós inflammable, burnt up; see phlogistic

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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phlo·gis·ton (flō-jĭs'tŏn', -tən)

n. A hypothetical substance formerly thought to be a volatile constituent of all combustible substances, released as flame in combustion.

[From Greek, neuter of phlogistos, inflammable, from phlogizein, to set on fire, from phlox, phlog-, flame; see bhel-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Phlogiston

Phlo*gis"ton\, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ? burnt, set on fire, fr. ? to set on fire, to burn, fr. ?, ?, a flame, blaze. See Phlox.] (Old Chem.) The hypothetical principle of fire, or inflammability, regarded by Stahl as a chemical element.

Note: This was supposed to be united with combustible (phlogisticated) bodies and to be separated from incombustible (dephlogisticated) bodies, the phenomena of flame and burning being the escape of phlogiston. Soot and sulphur were regarded as nearly pure phlogiston. The essential principle of this theory was, that combustion was a decomposition rather than the union and combination which it has since been shown to be.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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phlogiston

1730, "hypothetical inflammatory principle," formerly believed to exist in all combustible matter, from Mod.L. (1702), from Gk. phlogiston (1619 in this sense), neut. of phlogistos "burnt up, inflammable," from phlogizein "to set on fire, burn," from phlox (gen. phlogos) "flame, blaze" (see phlegm). Theory propounded by Stahl (1702), denied by Lavoisier (1775), defended by Priestley but generally abandoned by 1800.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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phlogiston (flō-jĭs'tən) Pronunciation Key
A hypothetical colorless, odorless, weightless substance once believed to be the combustible part of all flammable substances and to be given off as flame during burning. In the 18th century, Antoine Lavoisier proved that phlogiston does not exist. See Note at Lavoisier.

phlogiston

in early chemical theory, hypothetical principle of fire, of which every combustible substance was in part composed. In this view, the phenomena of burning, now called oxidation, was caused by the liberation of phlogiston, with the dephlogisticated substance left as an ash or residue.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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